Mediterranean Diet Recipe: Eggplant and Tomato Stacks with Pesto

If you’re beginning to get excited at the sound of a fresh, ripe tomato or eggplant adorning your plate, the Mediterranean spirit is beginning to build within you.

Eggplant and Tomato Stacks with Pesto

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 8 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

1-1/2 teaspoons sea salt

1 eggplant, sliced into 1/2-inch rounds

1 cup basil leaves, plus 12 to 15 more leaves for stacking

2 tablespoons pine nuts

1 clove garlic

2 tablespoons olive oil

Juice and zest of 1 lemon

Salt and pepper to taste

Nonstick cooking spray

2 to 3 beefsteak or Roma tomatoes, sliced into 1/2-inch rounds

1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

To extract the bitterness from the eggplant, layer several paper towels on a plate.

Place about 1 teaspoon of the sea salt on the towels and stack the eggplant rounds in a single layer. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt on top of the eggplant slices.

Top the eggplant with another layer of paper towels and then stack a plate on top of that.

Weigh the plate down and allow to sit for 20 to 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, to create the pesto, blend 1 cup of the basil leaves, pine nuts, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice and zest, and salt and pepper to taste in a food processor or blender for 2 to 3 minutes or until smooth. Set aside.

Rinse the eggplant well and pat dry.

Spray the eggplant (lightly) and the grill with nonstick cooking spray and heat the grill to medium-high heat. Grill each eggplant round about 3 to 5 minutes on each side or until you achieve the desired texture.